1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink supply devices in which a controller is configured to determine a type of an ink cartridge based on a detector detecting a portion of the ink cartridge configured to be mounted to a cartridge mounting portion.
2. Description of Related Art
A known inkjet image recording apparatus, such as an inkjet image recording apparatus described in JP-A-2005-288866, has a recording head having a plurality of nozzles formed therein, and a cartridge mounting portion to which an ink cartridge is mounted. The cartridge mounting portion accommodates the ink cartridge removably. When the ink cartridge is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion, an ink path is formed from the ink cartridge via the cartridge mounting portion to the recording head. Through the ink path, ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the recording head. The recording head selectively ejects ink supplied from the ink cartridge, as small droplets of ink, from the nozzles. The droplets of ink are ejected onto a recording medium, such that an image is recorded thereon.
There are various types of known ink cartridges, each containing ink different in color or volume. In other words, various kinds of known ink cartridges are used with a known image recording apparatus. A known ink cartridge has detection target portions for the recording apparatus to determine the type of ink cartridge. The detection target portions are positioned at positions corresponding to detecting devices, e.g. optical detectors, respectively, which are positioned in the cartridge mounting portion. The detecting devices output signals when detecting the detection target portions, respectively. The image recording apparatus has a controller configured to determine the type of ink cartridge based on the signals output from the detecting devices.
However, the detection target portions may not be correctly detected. For example, a certain degree of clearance may be provided between the ink cartridge and the cartridge mounting portion to facilitate insertion of the ink cartridge into the cartridge mounting portion. With this clearance, the position of the ink cartridge may change in the cartridge mounting portion, e.g., the ink cartridge may tilt relative to the cartridge mounting portion, and the positional relationship between each of the detection target portions and a corresponding one of the detecting devices may vary. In particular, such variations of the positional relationship are likely to occur in an ink cartridge having a plurality of detection target portions, which are spaced a relatively great distance apart, e.g., which are positioned on top and bottom ends of the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion. Because of the variations, the type of the ink cartridge may not be correctly detected, or a position of the ink cartridge in the cartridge mounting portion may not be correctly determined.